1. Field of the Invention
The field of this invention lies within the art of safety equipment for firemen and emergency workers in hazardous environments. It specifically relates to those types of equipment which are used with self-contained breathing apparatus and/or other life support systems within hazardous environments. Such life support systems include tanks of breathing gas with regulators to regulate gas into a mask. More particularly, it relates to those devices included with such equipment referred to as personal alert safety systems. Such personal alert safety systems are known to provide warnings when a worker could possibly be in a dangerously hazardous condition.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art with regard to emergency and hazardous environment safety equipment has evolved from the necessity to protect firemen and emergency workers in various hazardous environments. During the development of this equipment, the utilization of self-contained breathing apparatus was utilized as well as utilization of various types of support equipment in the form of air being pumped to an emergency worker. However, firemen and emergency workers primarily rely upon self-contained breathing apparatus.
Such self-contained breathing apparatus incorporates the utilization of a pressurized tank of breathing gas. The pressurized tank of gas is mounted on a user's back generally in the form of a backpack. The backpack is strapped to a user with shoulder straps and a waist harness or a waist belt.
In order to allow the emergency worker or fireman to breath, a face mask is utilized having a lens. The face mask is fitted snugly on the face and an opening is provided through the face mask for supplying breathing gas to a nose cup or oral nasal elastomeric mask within the mask. The oral nasal mask or nose cup is supplied by air from the tank through a demand regulator. The demand regulator is mounted in the mask opening and accommodates the worker's or fireman's requirements for breathing gas.
Intermediate pressure to the demand regulator is provided by an air hose connected to a first stage regulator that is mounted on the tank. The first stage regulator is generally mounted on the tank and provided with a valve this allows the flow of gas from the tank through the first stage regulator which regulates the tank pressure down to an intermediate pressure for utilization by the demand regulator.
Due to hazardous conditions such as smoke and gas, it has been common for firemen and hazardous safety workers to utilize a warning device when they are in a compromised safety situation. Oftentimes, such compromises to safety can be attributable to gas inhalation or some type of physical problem. In such cases, the worker or fireman is oftentimes immobilized or for that matter passed out.
In order to detect immobilization or passing out of a fireman or worker, a device referred to as a personal alert safety system (PASS) is utilized. The PASS specifically monitors movement of the safety worker or fireman to assure that the fireman or safety worker is moving and not passed out or immobilized. In order to do this, a motion detector is utilized. The motion detector can often be a motion switch such that when there is no movement upon the part of the worker, the switch provides a signal to actuate an alert or alarm. Such alert or alarm can be either a loud alarm or a signal transmitted to a remote location.
PASS devices have been utilized by workers and firemen mounted on the front of their equipment. One of the problems associated with a frontal mounting is the fact that when the worker is immobilized or falls on the equipment in a passed out condition, the sound can not be heard because it is muffled.
This invention overcomes the foregoing deficiency by allowing a second unit on the worker's or firemen's back to make a sound through the alert system with either an alarm signal or a transmitted signal of any desirable type. Thus, when the user is in a prone position and covering the alarm of the PASS, the second alarm on the back can be audible and well heard.